Home Credit India Launches Mobile App, will enable Customers to Access Loan and Repayment Details Instantly

Home Credit, one of India's leading NBFC has launched its mobile app in efforts towards meeting today's digital demand and need of engaging with customers closely by providing access on the go.

The app provides customers with a one-stop view of loan details, repayment schedule, and information on amount due and payment date of loans. With an intuitive design and user-friendly interface based on latest mobile payments technology, the app makes loan repayment convenient and faster for customers. Through the app, customers also have the flexibility to either repay loan completely or in small installments.

Announcing the launch, Tomas Hrdlicka, Chief Marketing Officer, Home Credit India, said, “The convergence and adoption of smartphones, mobile internet and digital payments offers a huge opportunity to expand access to financial services for unbanked population. The mobile app is a major step in our journey of introducing seamless and innovative digital solutions to customers, especially who are new to credit. As a responsible lending institution, we are committed to promoting financial inclusion by leveraging technology and contributing to the growth of digital payments architecture in India.”

The app is available on Google Playstore and is compatible with all Android phones. With over44,000 downloads already and nearly Rs. 17 million worth of point-of-sale and cash loans repaid till date, the app is gaining traction among existing Home Credit India customers.

The market leader in the small ticket size loan category (according to CRIF), Home Credit’s offerings primarily consist of providing in-store financing (direct non-cash loans in retail outlets) to qualified customers looking to purchase consumer durable goods such as mobile phones, home appliances, laptop/tablets, electronic goods and two-wheelers.

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Honor 6X receives price cut of Rs 1000 and Rs 2000 on 32 GB and 64 GB variant respectively

Honor 6X, arguably one of the most popular budget smartphones from HTC in recent times has received a significant price cut of INR 1000 on 32 GB (3 GB RAM) variant and INR 2000 on 64 GB (4 GB RAM) variant. nitially retailing at INR 12,999 (32GB) and INR 15,999 (64GB), consumers can now purchase the device for INR 11,999 (32GB) and INR 13,999 (64GB) from 6^th June 2017 onwards exclusively on Amazon.in.

Launched earlier in January in India, the Honor 6X has won several awards at the Consumer Electronics Summit (CES) 2017. The Honor 6X offers true value for money at an attractive price tag, coupled with best in class features has generated a lot of attention from consumers pan India.

“The Honor 6X is one our best sellers that has won many hearts due to its performance and dual camera capabilities, all at a very attractive price. The Honor 6X will now be available at a more attractive price for all Amazon India customers from 6^th June onwards, making the Honor 6X an even more attractive proposition. This is the perfect time for all those who have been waiting to get their hands on the device” said Mr. Allen Wang – Director Product Center, Huawei India Consumer Business Group.

In terms of specifications, Honor 6X features a gorgeous 5.5-inch full HD (1920*1080p) display, the ergonomically designed Honor 6X boasts a full metal slim body (8.2mm thick) with 2.5D glass on the front and curved panel on the back. The smartphone is localized for the Indian users with EMUI availability in 14 local languages (Hindi, Bengali, Telegu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Maithili and Nepali) and comes with the SOS button which will act as an emergency alarm and send an SMS to preset numbers and also provide location information.

The Honor 6X is available exclusively on Amazon.in and the company has experienced overwhelming customer response with the device going out of stock in a matter of minutes

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Gionee A1 Review: Should you buy a ticket to 'Selfiestan'?

Gionee announced the Gionee A1 at MWC with a super camera and super battery tagline. The company was quick to roll out the product in Indian market after the announcement as the device was officially launched Gionee A1 on 23rd March, 2017. The phone was launched with a grand event and its own 'Selfiestan' song launch featuring Alia Bhatt. The phone as the campaign suggests focus on the Selfie camera along with a super battery. So as a buyer should you dare to buy tickets to land in Selfiestan? Let's find out.

Build and Design:

As it has become a standard now a days, Gionee A1 as well comes with a metallic back and glass front. On the back you can spot antenna lines running on top and bottom of the phone. The 13 MP rear camera is placed right in the middle on the top and dual tone LED flash light sits just below it. However, the most confusing part of the phone is the Brand Logo itself which is placed perfectly in a circle, just below the LED Flash light. Why we say its the most confusing one as this is not the finger print sensor of the device despite of its look and perfect position for the same. While the finger print sensor is placed on Home button in front similar to what we see in Samsung phones. The phone branding comes just above the bottom antenna line and looks elegant.

Gionee A1 - BackSide

Turning the phone to its front side and you will the the glass covering all of it. On the top there is a front flash light and proximity sensor on the left of the ear-piece while the 16 MP camera is placed on the right of the ear-piece. Below that you have 5.5 inch Amoled display which sports a very thin bezel. On the bottom of the display we have a physical 'Home' button with finger print sensor on it. There are two capacitive touch buttons on either side of the Home button, the left one for multi tasking and right for back operations.

Gionee A1 (front side) - click to enlarge

We have a sim tray on the left side of the phone, while the right edge sports a Volume rocker and power button. On the top edge we have a 3.5 mm audio jack while on the bottom edge we have a micro usb slot for data transfer and charging and speaker grill on either sides.

Gionee A1 Bottom Edge 

Overall the phone looks great in hands, with a sturdy built and common yet beautiful design. The phone does feel a bit heavy at 180+ grams when compared to other prominent smartphones in this segment.

Specifications and Features: 

The Gionee A1 runs on a MediaTek Helio P10 MT6755 octa-core processor and Mali-T860M2 GPU coupled with 4 GB of RAM. The phone comes with 64 GB storage on board which can be further expanded upto 128 GB via micro SD card provided you cannot use second sim in that case as the SIM tray is a hybrid one. We have a front flash light for selfies which is a new trend now a days. Finger print sensor is placed in the front on the home button itself. 

The 5.5 inch AMOLED display provides a screen resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, The primary camera at rear is of 13MP and is supported by a dual tone LED flash light, however more weightage is given to the 'Selfie' Camera which comes with a 16 MP sensor and is supported by a Flash light too for selfies.

The phone runs on Amigo 4.0 custom UI based on Android Nougat, the device supports 4G LTE with VoLTE. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n , FM, micro USB with OTG support and 3.5 mm audio jack. 

The phone supports Gestures such as draw 'O' on the lock screen and camera app is launched which can be customized in a number of ways. The phone seems to have taken a lot of inspiration from the iPhones as we see with the icons and the toggle switches which are not present in the Notification drawer instead you need to pull it from the bottom of the screen as we see in iPhones. 

The Finger print sensor does it job well but the oval design of the Home button makes it loose some flexibility on the angles from which it can be unlocked and we personally would have preferred the sensor on the back right where the logo is placed.

The sharp AMOLED display is a plus of this device, which offers a clear picture quality with high saturation levels, the sharpness is as we would have wanted it on a Full HD display. It was able to play full HD movies we threw at it and the over all visual experience was a treat to eyes. Readability under sunlight is another plus. 

Performance:

Running on Mediatek Helio P10 with 4 GB RAM, the Gionee A1 lives up to the expectations and delivers a quality performance in day to day tasks. Switching between apps is quite smooth and we didn't notice any lag while switching between apps. The phone also doesn't heats up in regular use, normally I had calls ranging from 3 to 8 minutes in a day and didn't noticed sudden rise in temperature. However, playing resource intensive games such as Asphalt 8: Airborne for more than 10 minutes, the phone starts heating up due to which you could be forced to leave in another 10 minutes of game. 

The call quality from the device is crisp and clear, the super battery claim lives up as the phone easily lasted for a day and half on a single charge with more than average usage (including several game sessions, YouTube playback, voice calls and internet browsing). The phone also supports quick charging which comes in handy when you have to put in more juice in your phone in less time.

Camera:

The 16 MP front camera is the one touted to be a 'Super Selfie' camera with LED flash, On the rear there is a 13 MP camera with dual LED flash and f/2.0 aperture which is same as the front camera. 

The front cameras have evolved a lot in last 3 years and Gionee A1 camera does its job well in most conditions, the front soft flash helps in low lit conditions and various filters and beautify features makes it fun and satisfying to capture a selfie. 

The rear camera takes great shots in good amount of light however in low light it struggles a bit to reduce the noise and pick up the details. The shutter speed and focus are quick and snaps the image as soon as you click on the shutter button. The rear camera comes with a lot of modes, including panorama, manual, slow motion, card reader, bar code reader and Translator. There are live filters available as well which you can choose while framing your subject. Below are few samples.

Verdict:

As the 'Super Selfie, Super Battery' tagline is justified with the performance of the phone, you have to give it to the design and the display quality to make this phone a desirable one. The specifications are as per the price segment. So if you are a selfie lover and looking for a stylish (not unique though) and sturdy phone, then Gionee A1 should definitely in your wish list.

Gionee is priced at 19,999 Rs, which is a good price when compared to the OPPO F3 Plus, Vivo Selfie focused smartphones. 

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ASUS Zenfone 3 5.5' and 5.2' receives price cut of Rs 8000 and 4000 respectively

ASUS, the Taiwanese mobile technology company, today announced price reductions for its most popular smartphone Zenfone 3.  Zenfone 3 5.5 inch (ZE552KL) which was priced at INR 27,999 is now available for INR 19,999 and Zenfone 3 5.2 inch (ZE520KL) for INR 17,999 against the previous price of INR 21,999.

ASUS Zenfone 3 5.5-inch (ZE552KL)

Commenting on the announcement, Peter Chang, Region Head – South Asia & Country Manager for ASUS India said, “Zenfone 3 series, has been globally awarded and appreciated for its, camera capabilities, classy yet contemporary design and high-end performance. Taking it forward, we plan to introduce an exciting range of products this year and the price reduction of Zenfone 3 is a precursor to the forthcoming product line-up.”

The Zenfone 3 features a gorgeous 5.2-inch (ZE520KL) and 5.5-inch (ZE552KL) Full HD (1920 by 1080) Super IPS+ display, Zenfone 3 combines beauty, elegance and high performance with great 16MP/8MP (rear and front) PixelMaster 3.0 Camera with real tone Dual LED Flash. Equipped with the latest Sony® IMX298 sensor, six-element Largan lens with a large f/2.0 aperture, and subject-tracking TriTech auto-focus. Zenfone 3 also offers both optical and electronic image stabilization for blur-free shots and video, a color-correction sensor for true-color photography, and true 4K UHD video recording. Zenfone 3 is the world’s first smartphone worldwide to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625, along with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB ROM. Zenfone 3 also has a built-in rear fingerprint sensor that unlocks the phone in as quickly as 0.2 seconds. Zenfone 3’s stunning body has 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass on both front and back side.

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Top 5 E-commerce Mobile App Builders That You Should Be Using

E-commerce is a booming industry. It’s important to adapt to new trends that the industry is adopting. The latest trend is the mobile app that e-commerce websites are using to get customers to stay with them and shop.

The success of your e-commerce mobile app largely rests on design. The app must be perfect in every way, with each feature carefully thought out. For this purpose, there are app builders that can help you with this. They have predefined templates, and most importantly, the expertise you need when it comes to app development.

With the user on the go and away from their computers, there are a few basic requirements when it comes to an app.

• The app must be easily accessible 
• The content must be readable and simple 
• Navigation through the app should be simplified 
• Checkout must be convenient 
• The app must be clear with products clearly visible to the user 

The best way to figure out how you’d like your app to look is by going through several others. There can be features that interest you. You can also take a look at mobile app review sites and see what catches your fancy. Place yourself in the user's shoes and think about what you want from the app. This kind of insight can help you go a long way.

Once you have a basic idea on how it should look, feel, and function, you can start looking at app builders. These are 5 of the finest e-commerce mobile app builders in the market today.

Contalog

This company provides mobile commerce app solutions to all kinds of businesses. They help create apps for companies that don’t have a website.

They create eye-catching and user-friendly apps that are totally customizable. They have the option to integrate new features of your liking onto an existing template.

This interface lets you update the app frequently so that you can stay ahead of the competition.

Jmango360

This app solution company develops the app for a monthly fee. This fee is collected for the usage of the app and maintenance. They include any changes or updates you want. This means that they’re here to ensure that your app stays ahead of the curve all the time.

They make apps compatible with iOS and Android. You can also have push notifications and global payment integration methods. You can also choose to make this app by yourself with assistance from their end.

Shopgate

Shopgate lets you reach your customer beyond your website right to their phones. This is also one of the app builders that provides services for both iOS and Android devices.

They have a GPS store locator feature. They have push messages, QR code scanners, and fast loading speeds.

Shopgate lets your app to integrate with established e-commerce platforms. They improve customer experience with their 3D cart feature.

Shopify is another app builder that helps you create your website and app.

Mobicommerce

Mobicommerce was an idea that came to its founder when he was facing a technical error with his mobile app. When the company he hired was unable to resolve it, he took it upon himself to create a better platform to create apps.

This is a popular app building company that has over 300 apps to its name. Their cutting edge technology and numerous features have made them one of the most preferred app developing companies in the market.

They have push notifications and store locator features. Apart from that, they provide integrations for over 20 payment gateways. They let you create your own layout as well.

Apphitect

This Dubai-based company was of one the first to get into the business of app building. They have created apps for several global brands. Their experience and employee strength make them the front runners in this market.

They have readymade solutions to complex app requests. Their apps are best known for these features

• Multi-lingual capabilities 
• Customizable templates 
• Rewards and loyalty points 
• Deep linking features in the app 
• Performance enhancing software 

The app you get will have a simple and professional look to it. Their apps are compatible with both Android and iOS platforms.

Approach app building companies only after you have a clear picture of how you want your app to be. Go through the apps they’ve created so far. Researching the best commerce websites out there will help you have a clear idea in mind.

The quality of your app will determine the success of your venture.

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HTC slashes price of HTC U Play by 10000 Rs, exclusively available on Amazon.in for INR 29,990

HTC Corporation announced today that the recently launched HTC U Play  will be available exclusively on Amazon.in for Rs 29,990. Launch of HTC U Play was announced in February along with HTC U Ultra. At the time of launch the price of phone was said to be Rs 39,990.

HTC U Play - Sapphire

HTC U Play comes in Sapphire Blue and Brilliant Black colour options and will be available exclusively on Amazon.in. The device is available at zero cost EMI to customers for a limited period.

The HTC U Play 5.2” smartphone comes with a 64 GB internal memory and 4 GB RAM along with 3D contoured liquid surface and a lustrous, symmetrical, curved glass construction that reflects light beautifully. It also supports additional micro SD cards up to 2 TB. Aptly labelled as the phone that is made ‘For the Playful You’ the HTC U Play comes with HTC Sense Companion. This personal companion is always learning from you and comes with built-in voice recognition so that it’s able to respond to your voice.

Other features include HTC USonic²microphones that analyse your inner ears with a sonar-like pulse, and then adapts to you. The HTC U Play is equipped with a perfectly symmetric thin design and a unique combination of 16 Megapixel rear and an UltraPixel^TMcamera technology on the front that provide vivid light, colours and details to take brilliant selfies

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ASUS partners with Home Credit to offer 0% Interest EMI on Smartphone purchase

Taiwanese smartphone maker ASUS  today announced its partnership with one of India's leading NFBC Home Credit. This partnership will allow users to purchase ASUS smartphones on EMI without having to worry about the interest. However there will be a fixed processing fees of Rs 399 or Rs 599 for 6 months or 7 months terms respectively.

Click on Image to Enlarge

This strategic step was taken to ensure that consumers have easier access to ASUS smartphones, enabling them to live their digital lives without any hindrances as there is a lot of dependency on today's 4G mobiles.  The schemes, available across Zenfone 3 Max 5.2, Zenfone 3 Max 5.5, Zenfone 3s Max, Zenfone 3 5.2 and Zenfone 3 5.5, will enable customers to purchase these smartphones with hassle-free financing options.

Commenting on the partnership, Peter Chang, Regional Head - South Asia & Country Manager - ASUS India, said, “We have always believed in empowering our consumers with products that perfectly combine advanced technology and luxurious specs. We are very excited about our partnership with Home Credit. Consumers will be able to purchase our smartphones, while also giving them the freedom to select a financing option that suits them the best.”

Speaking on the collaboration with ASUS, Artem Popov, Chief Sales Officer – Home Credit India, said, “We are delighted to partner with a leading smartphone brand like ASUS. We are optimistic that our association to offer quick and easy loans at zero percent interest and easy EMI options will make buying ASUS phones much easier and convenient throughout our 8500 Points of Sale spread across over 70 cities in 15 Indian states.”

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5G Indoor Wireless Equipment to Represent Only 5% of $10 Billion Global Market by 2025 - ABI Research

5G deployments indoors and in venues may be delayed by one year or more when compared to outdoor 5G deployments starting from 2020. ABI Research estimates the global equipment market for in-building wireless, including active distributed antenna systems (DAS), passive DAS, and repeaters, for 2025, will reach close to $10 billion. The overall system revenue in 2025, which includes services and equipment, will grow at a CAGR of 15% to top $19 billion in 2025. Out of this market, 5G in-building wireless equipment will account for $509 million in 2025.

"As 5G nears full specification, mobile network operators will face challenges for indoor mobile coverage, including signal propagation, next-generation fronthaul/backhaul, and massive MIMO," says Nick Marshall, Research Director at ABI Research. "Early 5G deployments indoors and in venues will be a migration building on the features of LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro. This will happen technology by technology and frequency by frequency, avoiding costly 'rip and replace' style deployments."

5G is a multi-technology HetNet, comprised of a combination of different cell types and access technologies to seamlessly adapt to an array of use cases and applications. NFV migrates cellular signal processing to a remote telco data center, while MEC, in a countervailing trend, migrates IT compute and storage to the network edge within the building or venue for low latency use cases and applications. Massive MIMO, a key challenge that 5G will face as it nears full specification, refers to the use of multiple antennas at the base station and mobile device.

"We believe that future 5G networks will rely on network functions virtualization, or NFV, and mobile edge computing, or MEC, to alter the architecture and topology of the RAN by leveraging telco data centers to virtualize signal processing in the cloud," concludes Marshall.

With 5G standards yet to be finalized, many equipment vendors are actively researching and developing 5G equipment with a variety of approaches. These companies include Nokia Mobiles with its AirFrame/AirScale Radio Access, Ericsson with its ERS, and CommScope with its OneCell.

ABI Research profiles these companies and more in its In-Building Wireless in the 5G Era report, which also includes a discussion on the challenges of 5G for in-building wireless.

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HTC, CRY comes together with initiative 'Aarzoo: ek wish har Arzoo poori karne ki' to improve quality education access for girls

Sonal (Name Changed) is an activist and she is only 12 years old. She is a member of the "Little star children's group" from Shahbad dairy that works towards educating children on protecting themselves against abuse. Like the other members of the group, she has been working with other children from the basti who are yet not associated with the children group.

She is a part of Aarzoo – a movement, a promise to fulfill dreams of countless young girls from the lower income group families by facilitating guidance and resources to supplement their dedication and enthusiasm. In association with 'CRY - Child Rights and You', and as a part of its corporate social initiative, HTC Corporation, a leading innovator in mobile and virtual reality technology, has launched the initiative ‘Aarzoo: ek wish har Aarzoo poori karne ki’’ in India.

The initiative brings together HTC and CRY in an effort to create education and basic training opportunities for the girl child from the under privileged sections of our society. As a part of this initiative, beginning February 2017, HTC will, for a period of six months, contribute part of consumer sales proceeds towards delivering an on-ground impact on girl child education for 1500 girls through CRY.

‘Aarzoo’ aims to bring positive changes in the lives of the under-privileged girls by giving them the opportunity to learn whilst working towards recognizing, promoting and protecting their rights. In order to build mass reach and awareness and establish connect it will involve the use of Digital consumer connect campaigns as well as on ground activation via events and activities. HTC employees will also join the drive by donating their time towards the cause – volunteer for CRY. The initiative will culminate with a large children festival in Delhi.

Speaking on the association, Mr. Faisal Siddiqui, President-South Asia, HTC said, “According to DHS data around the world, female literacy rates are improving but India ranks 38th among the 51 developing countries for which comparable data is available. Indonesia, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Tanzania — all rank higher than India. We firmly believe that education is the birthright of every child, especially girls as their education and awareness helps build a better and progressive society. We are pleased to associate with a reputable organization like CRY, which has been dedicatedly working towards providing a better childhood to children to take a step forward towards fulfilling this vision of ours. I would like to reiterate our commitment towards providing quality education and enable better prospects for the girl child in the country."

                       

Welcoming this initiative, Ms Soha Moitra, Regional Director- North, Child Rights and You (CRY) said, “Education is a powerful tool with which we can empower the girl child. It not only helps them to become confident individuals but also goes a long way in fighting several social evils and issues like child marriage, abuse, maternal and child mortality, malnutrition etc. Educating a girl child is the first step towards transforming society and we are extremely glad that HTC is championing this cause and supporting us in making education accessible to every child. We believe this initiative will go a long way in empowering girls and bringing them into the mainstream.”

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Reliance JIO Free Offer extended till 15 April, Summer Surprise offer for prime members on recharge of 303 or above

When every thought that they might be using the JIO freebies for the last time today, Mr. Mukesh Ambani yet again made it official that the offer is extended for last time. This time the offer is extended for 15 another days, i.e. you can enjoy the existing offer till 15th April, 2017. Along with that the members who have opted for prime membership will be entitled to first Surprise of many surprises to come. As 'Summer Surprise' Offer, prime members who recharge for Rs 303/- or more will get services for the initial 3 months on complimentary basis. That means you get Unlimited Data (28 GB at 4G speed, with 1 GB FUP per day) for 3 months with recharge of Rs 303/-.

File Image

The letter from Mr. Ambani also states that over 72 million people have already enrolled for prime membership and they are still counting. As per the letter this 15 days window is to ensure smoother transition from free to paid services. The official letter reads:

"Jio’s free service period is COMING TO AN END. Users who do not recharge by the extended date of 15th April will experience degradation and/or discontinuation of services.

But, I am conscious that this is the largest migration from free to paid services in history.We are committed to doing this gradually, so that both Jio and Jio customers have the time to adjust, fine tune and perfect this transition."

The letter from JIO MD also touched upon the investment and efforts organization is putting into getting infrastructure ready for seamless experience for customers.Below is the text from the letter.

"Jio has created the world’s largest greenfield 4G LTE wireless broadband network, with over 100,000 mobile towers. And we will add another 100,000 towers to our network in the coming months. This greenfield investment – of over Rs 200,000 crores – is the largest anywhere in the world. We are acutely aware that we have small pockets of congestion on our network. With our investment in network expansion, you will see a dramatic improvement in service quality in the coming weeks.

Mobile Number Portability (MNP), which allows consumers to retain their existing mobile number when they switch to Jio, is available for all consumers. Lakhs of consumers have already used this facility. If you have not done so already, I invite you to do MNP and make Jio your permanent home. For International travellers, Jio’s International roaming is now available across the world, with best voice and data rates in industry."

The zest of today's letter is that JIO is in no mood to leave any stone un-turned to gain maximum market share in Industry. The dynamics have changed a lot since JIO's entry in market as rival companies are offering a great deal on data and voice plans to compete with JIO. Vodafone's merger with Idea also brings interesting twist in the tale. We must say its all good for the consumers and the best time after initial Reliance CDMA entry which ended charges on incoming calls.

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Micromax Dual 5 with dual 13 MP rear cameras and CC EAL 5+ security certified for Rs 24,999/-

Micromax had been away from the limelight from quite a long time, once there was a time when every month or even fortnight you will hear a new phone launched from Micromax there were lot of advertisements, sponsorship and other publicity.  While some predicted that Chinese competitors had got better of it, some other analysts were hopeful that Micromax will return with a bang in smartphone market. It seems that with the launch of Dual 5 the company has hit the right chord. We must say, that we have spent just a few minutes with the device but we are impressed with the end product, I believe you will also agree with us after getting to know about the device. So let's have a look at the price, specifications and features of the phone.

Micromax Dual 5

Well till yesterday there were lot of speculations about the device and we too joined the rumor mills to get and spread the information. However most of what we got was not true apart from the fact that the phone sports dual camera at back. 

Specifications, Price and Availability:

The Dual 5 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Octa Core processor coupled with 4 GB RAM, 128 GB on board storage which can be further expanded upto 128 GB via MicroSD card. The phone sports a metallic body. The device comes with two 13 MP Sony IMX258 sensor one for Monochrome and another one for RGB (color) sensor both the cameras have f/1.8 aperture to capture more light. A color temperature sensor is used to combine the images captured from both the sensors to produce a high quality final product. While on the front as well the phone comes with same 13 MP camera with Sony IMX258 sensor and f/2 aperture. The front camera is also accompanied by a soft flash. The device runs on Android Marshmallow though.

The phone sports a 5.5 inch Full HD Super Amoled display with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla glass protection. The Dual 5 is powered by 3200 mAh strong battery and supports Quick Charge 3.0 for faster charging. The device supports Dual SIM connectivity, 4G, VoLTE, BT 4.1 and Wi-Fi ac.  On sensors front the device comes with a Fast Finger print sensor, ALS, Gyroscope, IR Sensor and proximity sensor.  For charging and data transfer the device comes with USB Type-C port.

As mentioned earlier the phone is priced competitively at 24,990/- which is right between the recently launched Gionee A1 and OPPO F3 Plus. On paper the phone looks to have an upper edge and will compete with other devices in similar price range.

The Dual 5 will go on sale from 10th April, 2017. Registrations for the sale has opened from today itself at http://www.micromaxinfo.com

Features:

The most talked about feature of the phone is its beefed up security. The Dual 5 has a separate chip for safety and security, this chip is said to store all your credentials and other confidential data. The Dual 5 is EAL 5+ security certified device which makes it as secure as banking transaction devices or Military Grade security. The phone allows users to create a private profile to keep their private files, images and applications , different finger prints can be assigned to unlock phone into different profiles. The phone is also anti-theft device as its anti-theft safety switch feature allows one to block anyone from shutting down the phone if the SIM is tried to be removed which enables the tracking of the phone as well if the password is not entered within 60 minutes of the attempt the phone will self destroy the data and ensure that your confidential data is safe and secure.

Apart from security features, as the phone has dual camera setup it allows you to take photos with great details and depth and have modes like pro, pano, anti haze, HDR etc. The IR sensor allows the phone to be an universal remote. The phone will also come with a Micromax Care app pre-installed, the company has also announced 24 hour service promise along with 1 year replacement warranty.

The phone also sports an extra dedicated button on the left (power and volume rockers are on right side). This button can be customized to be used as a flash button, the camera shutter, Quick Photo, Clean App or Disable Virtual Key on screen.

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Micromax Set to launch its first Dual Camera smartphone Dual 5 tomorrow

We discussed in our earlier posts how Dual Camera is a so called tech revolution in smartphone industry that every other brand is launching atleast one of the product with dual camera setup to be in the game. Most recently OPPO launched OPPO F3 Plus with Dual Selfie camera and upped the ante, though a bit late but Micromax determined to catch up with the Chinese OEMs is all set to unveil its very own first smartphone with a dual Camera.

The Coundown has begun!

Micromax is teasing with the about the new device from quite some time and it is very clear that this device sports dual cameras.

This. Is. Just. The. Beginning. Get ready. pic.twitter.com/ab4826wpFs

— Micromax India (@Micromax_Mobile) March 17, 2017

Apart from the obvious dual camera setup not much details are disclosed by the company. However, few other details are derived from a leaked image on Chinese social media platform weibo. As per reports the Dual 5 will be powered by 1.5 GHz Octa core Mediatek MT6750T processor combined with 3 GB RAM. The phone is said to packed with a decent graphics processor and 32 GB memory on board. The phone sports a 5.5 inch HD  display.

The dual camera setup at rear includes a 13 MP and another 5 MP camera, while on the front as well it is said to be sporting a 5 MP camera. For the first time Micromax seems to have got the right software and hardware combination to come with a balanced product which can be concluded by the accounts of Nimish Dubey from TechPP and Bharat Nagpal from iGyaan.

Whatever may be the exact specifications but after a long time Micromax seems to have appeared with the right product in the market. However, the road is not easy as lately the homegrown brand has seen a fierce competition from its Chinese counterparts in last one year. As it is known, we are hoping that Micromax will price it aggressively in market. We are really excited for tomorrow's launch and if you are equally excited as we are, follow us on our social pages and get all the updates related to the product.

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OPPO launches first phone with Dual Selfie Camera for Rs 30,990/- in India

It was in 2014 when we witnessed a plethora of devices focused on Selfies, it was then we reviewed devices with greater than 5 MP front camera. Just a day before Gionee launched A1 which is again a selfie oriented smartphone, Vivo have also launched another couple of months back which means smartphone companies see a lot of potential in this segment and their decision is also backed by the research done on the topic.

In last two years the industry has moved at a high pace and we have seen many innovations in specs as well as the technology overall including the camera in a smartphone. Recently every other brand launched one or more than one smartphone sporting Dual cameras at rear, OPPO having positioned itself as a Camera focused brand in past 3 years, we were expecting a flagship from OPPO carrying dual camera setup. OPPO did as expected but inspite of being late in the Dual Camera race the brand turned up as a leader as it launched first phone OPPO F3 Plus with Dual Selfie Camera on the front.

Deepika Padukone, Mr. Sky Li and Dabbu Ratnani on launch of OPPO F3 Plus

The Cameras:

The Dual Selfie cameras of OPPO F3 Plus are for specific scenarios which are- "One for Selfie and another one for Group Selfie". The camera software automatically recognizes if there are more than 3 people posing for the Selfie and changes its mode to group selfie to work with a larger view area. The 120 degree wide angle, 6P front camera gives 105% larger field of view, than a regular camera. The other front camera with 16 MP resolution, 1/3.1-inch sensor and a large f/2.0 aperture will inherit the advancement seen in previous Selfie Expert phones by Oppo like high dynamic range, vivid depth and minimized noise.

While the rear camera offers high-quality photography performance with fast focusing speed, noise reduction and advanced low-light performance. The 16-megapixel rear camera is powered by a brand-new 1/2.8-inch IMX398 sensor. This sensor is jointly developed by OPPO and Sony, which features Dual PDAF – dual phase detection autofocus technology. This new technology doubles the sensor’s pixel array area where the photodiodes are embedded, necessary for phase detection autofocus. This makes for 40 percent faster focusing speeds even in low light. Paired with the large f/1.7 aperture, the resulting images are clear and breathtaking.

Other Specifications:

The OPPO F3 Plus comes with a 4000 mAh strong battery with proprietary VOOC Flash charge technology which is claimed to provide 2 hours of Talktime in just 5 minutes of recharge. The 6-inch FHD Screen, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen features a pre-applied protective screen coating. The F3 Plus is powered by an octa-core processor – the Qualcomm MSM8976 Pro, 4GB RAM, 64 GB ROM backed by the ColorOS 3.0 with Avast scanner.

Price and Availability:

The F3 Plus will be available in Gold and Black. Priced at Rs 30,990, the Gold variant of the F3 Plus will be available from 1^st April 2017 both online and offline. It will be available in OPPO stores across India and online stores on Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal. The pre-order starts from today till 31^st March 2017. OPPO is also giving a special gift pack for all pre – orders purchases made both online and offline. There is also a Black color variant for the F3 Plus which will be available later.

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All you need to know about 'Super Selfie, Super Battery' Gionee A1

Gionee India launched its new Smartphone A1 with 16 MP Front Camera sporting a dedicated selfie flash on the front for selfies. The phone is promoted with the tag line of 'Super Selfie, Super Battery'. As the tag line suggests the phone does have sport a high end selfie camera with the flash support and is powered by 4010 mAh strong high density battery, which company claims can be charged to Full within just 2 hours using its powerful 18W charger.

Gionee A1 Launch

The Gionee A1 presser was rather a different one, starting from invite and registration like in immigration counter (story for another day), most surprising part was the company didn't disclosed the price of the device. Mr. Vohra , Country CEO and MD India on being asked about the price of the phone just commented that its priceless, well we were left speechless with this comment as why would a brand not unveil the pricing on the launch day. However, from reliable sources the price of Gionee A1 is said to be Rs 22000/- in India. The pre-orders will start from 31st of March and if you pre-order it then you will also be getting a two -year warranty and a JBL headphone or a Swiss Military Bluetooth speaker.

The dual-Sim 4G LTE phone comes with a 16 MP front camera equipped with a flash light to lighten up the selfies, whereas on the rear you have  a 13 MP camera. The A1 runs on an Octa-Core 64 bit process that gives better performance and less power consumption. Powered by a 4GB RAM, The A1 enables smooth multitasking and easy operation, while 64GB internal storage (Expandable up to 256GB) provide ample storage space. The Gionee A1 is based on the latest Android 7.0 and comes with the improved Amigo OS for a holistic and satisfying smartphone experience.

The A1 is equipped with the fastest fingerprint sensor as claimed  by the company unlocking the phone in just 0.2 seconds, for top-notch safety. For the humid Indian conditions, the sensor unlocks the device even with moist fingers. The finger print sensor also activates ‘Edgebar’ allowing users a hub for quicker access to their favorite apps. A1 boasts of a full metal body made out of A6000 aircraft grade material that is used in making premium cars and aircrafts.

4G and VOLTE enabled smartphone also offers a host of amazing features such as Split Screen, Maxx Audio, Virus detection amongst other key features.

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[Infographic]: Selfie Usage pattern amongst the Indian consumers

In past few years the word selfie has transformed from a jargon for taking one's own photo in early 2005 to becoming one of the "Top 10 buzzwords" of year 2012. In 2013 selfie went on to become the "word of the year" by the Oxford English dictionary. At the time of writing of this post #Selfie had more than 293 million search results. All these facts and data indicates how popular Selfie is in today's  world for social media users. It's no surprise that smartphone companies have focused themselves on front camera more than ever. OPPO is one such company with a proven track record of producing one of the finest quality selfie focused /camera centric smartphones in market. In its continued effort to listen voice of customers and understand the usage pattern amongst Indian consumers, OPPO recently conducted a survey with the leading market research company Nielsen, on The Selfie Usage Patterns amongst the Indian consumers, to deep dive into the unique patterns, characteristics, challenges and their definition of a ‘perfect selfie’ .

An infographic is compiled based upon the research done by Nielsen for OPPO India. All findings are based on Online Research in Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin and Kolkata in February 2017 among 1001 consumers who purchased a smart phone after Year 2014 and took selfie at least once a week.

Below are some of the interesting facts extracted from above infographic.

 At an overall level, out of 10 pictures taken with mobiles, 6 are selfies.

 Out of 10 selfies taken, 6 are group selfies with two or more people

89% of consumers are more willing to take selfies when with family and friends!

96% of consumers take more than one selfie every time to get a perfect one

66% claim that the biggest issue they face while taking a selfie is the difficulty in fitting all people in one frame! This directly correlates to the fact that a wider angle camera is going to be the future of perfect group selfies – a feature that most Indian consumers are demanding in their smartphone cameras.

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Western Digital Allies with ‘Phillauri’ as their digital storage partner

Phillauri (Saved on WD) poster

Western Digital, a leading digital storage provider, has announced its association with film production houses Fox Star Studios and Clean Slate Films Private Limited - Anushka Sharma and her brother Karnesh Sharma's production house, one of long awaited movies ‘Phillauri’. WD has provided the film production house with its world-class storage products for studio editing, post-production, and storing top notch special effects. As part of the association the company has provided the production house with key storage products. These products have been used by Fox Star Studios & Clean Slate Films for studio editing, post-production, and storing world-class special effects.

Media companies are investing heavily in migrating from the traditional to digital value chain to achieve efficiency in processes and save costs. With digitization, managing assets and control over content, from the script to screen processes, is enhanced. Digitization also enables collaboration between geographically spread entities, distribute content through multiple media gateways and open new avenues for monetization of content. 

“Western Digital Corporation is one of the largest computer hard disk drive and solid state drives manufacturer, which enables creative professionals to store, collect, access, and use a vast and growing body of digital information. Our entertainment industry is growing at a high speed and editing requires high performance storage devices and we at WDC are trusted leaders.” said Khalid Wani, Managing Director for India Sales, Western Digital Corporation.

“Movies are shot on high end camera’s but the challenge is where to store these without compromising the quality of the footage. There is a continued need for storage high end workflows. Western Digital Corporation is a storage which is reliable with a huge capacity of terabytes. This association showcases the vital role storage products plays for production houses.” said Karnesh Sharma, Producer, Clean Slate Films.

As part of the association, Western Digital also offered an exciting chance to meet the star cast of the movie ‘Phillauri’ in an exclusive Meet & Greet event on 22nd of March in New Delhi. Additionally, the purchase of WD products under this promotion at www.flipkart.com and www.amazon.in also  allowed the first thousand purchasers to receive a free gift. The promotional offer lasted until March 20^th, 2017.

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5 Flagship Smartphones to Watch Out For in 2017

Game of Phones has just begun! The year 2017 has witnessed numerous tech companies emerging with their flagship smartphones lately, initially at CES in January. In fact, the MWC 2017 was no different given that brands like Nokia, LG, Huawei, Sony, BlackBerry and more showed off their lineup of flagship smartphones for this year. Considering the vast competition and plethora of options available in the market, we decided to list five flagship smartphones to watch out for in 2017. Here wo go!

Samsung Galaxy S8

South Korean giant Samsung has geared up to launch this year's flagship Galaxy S8 soon. Meanwhile, Samsung also has some press event scheduled for March 15 in New York where it is likely to expand its flagship Galaxy 'S series' lineup. It has been quite sometime now since the company's most-awaited phone of 2017 is making headlines. The Galaxy S8, similar to its predecessor, is expected with wireless charging and IP68 rated water and dust resistance. Rumour has it that the device might be powered by Qualcomm's newly announced flagship Snapdragon 835 chip with 6GB RAM.

Image for representation purpose only

Apple iPhone 8

Apple's iPhone unit is marking its 10th anniversary this year. You must have figured out by now that the year 2017 will undoubtedly be special for the Cupertino giant. India has been a growing market for Apple and we should expect the 10th anniversary iPhone to launch in India shortly after international announcement. Apple has already gained significant market share in India with the iPhone 5s being sold for sub Rs 20,000 in recent times and the price of iPhone 6 also seems to be headed in the same direction.

Reports suggest that Apple will release the next iteration of iPhone in October this year. While it happens sooner or later, let us see what all features we can expect in this year's iPhone 8. First thing first, it is expected that it will sport an OLED, edge-to-edge display and glass body. The display itself might deal with a selfie camera as well as an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor. If true, it will not sport a home button this time, though.

Image for representation purpose only

Xiaomi Mi6

Last year, Xiaomi launched the Mi 5s and Mi 5s flagship devices only in China. This year, however, Xiaomi is likely to release its flagship smartphone globally. That is where Xiaomi Mi6 comes into play. The phone is rumoured to arrive in multiple options -- Xiaomi Mi6 Lite, Standard and Pro. The Xiaomi Mi6 is expected pack Android Nougat-based MIUI software in addition to a bigger 4000mAh battery. The phone will likely come with up to 6GB RAM, considering the stiff competition with brands like OnePlus as well as Samsung. Remember the Galaxy C9 Pro? That aside, it is said to be powered by Qualcomm's high-end Snapdragon 835 octa-core chip.

Image for representation purpose only

LG G6

LG recently announced the LG G6 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona. Design wise, the device is no longer modular unlike its predecessor, the LG G5. It flaunts a metal frame, sandwiched between two layers of Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Furthermore, it comes with pretty thin bezels, wireless charging (region-specific), fingerprint scanner and IP68 rated dust and water resistance. Specs wise, it has a 5.7-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor, 4GB RAM and Android 7.0 Nougat OS. It also packs a 3300mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

LG G6

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Sony recently held a press conference at MWC 2017 in Barcelona where it officially pulled the wraps off its flagship Xperia XZ Premium. It has a metal unibody design with the fingerprint scanner embedded on the home button. Interestingly, it is also the world's first smartphone to be powered by Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 835 processor. It has a 4K Triluminos display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection layered on top. That aside, it houses a 19MP rear camera and a 13MP selfie camera. Running Android 7.0 Nougat OS, the Xperia XZ Premium is based on a 3230mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 technology. Xperia XZ Premium is also honored as 'Best New Smartphone' at the recently concluded Global Mobile Awards by GSMA.

Image for representation purpose only

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OPPO will be the next Indian Cricket Jersey sponsor after successful bid of $162 million

OPPO , one of leading smartphone brand from China has bragged rights for Indian Cricket Team sponsorship after successful bid of $162 million (1079 crore INR). The partnership with BCCI will start from 1st April 2017. OPPO outbid Vivo, another smartphone brand from China for the sponsorship rights. Vivo offered $115 million for a period of 5 years where as OPPO offered $162 million for same time period to become proud sponsor of Team India. 

This is a new step of OPPO in the field of cricket after becoming the official Global Partners of the International Cricket Council for 4 years from 2016 onwards.

Sky Li (President OPPO), Rahul Johri(CEO, BCCI) and Diana Edulji (BCCI)

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Rahul Johri, CEO, BCCI said “On behalf of the BCCI, I would like to congratulate OPPO Mobiles India Pvt. Ltd., on winning the rights and welcome them to the BCCI family. OPPO Mobiles and the BCCI share a common vision and I am confident that we will work together to further grow Indian cricket.”

The team sponsorship rights include the right to be called the official team sponsor, and to display a commercial logo on the National Men's, Women's, Under-19 and India A teams' kits.

Mr. Sky Li, Global VP & President of OPPO India said, “Cricket in India is not just a sport, but also a way of life and culture, especially amongst the youth. The Indian National Cricket Team is the essence of cricket in India and the team’s spirit of marching forward and pursuing newer heights is highly consistent with OPPO’s pursuit of products with unmatched photography experience.”

Sky added, “The Indian national team receives high reputation and influence among young people. By partnering with the team, OPPO will not only further enhance its connection with the young consumers, but also engage with the country’s youth in its endeavor of providing them with the outstanding selfie-led photography experience.”

OPPO leads the smartphone photography developments in the industry. It started the trend of selfie beautification, first launched the motorized rotating camera phone N3, screen flash and other photography feature. In 2015, in line with its deep insight of young people’s behavior, OPPO first launched selfie focused smartphones——Selfie Expert F series in India. And its first batch products F1, F1 Plus and F1s received warm welcome and the brand leads the selfie trend in the country. Now the brand’s share in the offline market reached 11.7 percent and is ranked No.2 in the market, as of Jan 2017, as reported by research firm GFK.

OPPO is a young and dynamic company and has already established itself as one of the world’s leading smartphone brand with a base of more than 100 million young customers using OPPO mobile phones globally and the brand has become the most welcomed camera phone brand across the young Indians.

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